The magazine's December/January cover star begins by addressing those who often criticize the show's frequent nudity and sex scenes saying, "I’m starting to get really annoyed about this stuff now because people say, ‘Oh, yeah, all the porn sites went down when Game of Thrones came back on." She then goes on to say that she often recommends The Handmaid's Tale, saying, "I f*cking love that show, and I cried when it ended because I couldn’t handle not seeing it. That is all sex and nudity. There are so many shows centered around this very true fact that people reproduce. People f*ck for pleasure—it’s part of life.”

This is where Game of Thrones differs from The Handmaid's Tale, as Handmaid's depicts scenes in which characters aren't given a choice when it comes to their sexual activities at all and are, in turn, forced to reckon on a deeper level with what happens to them. The show does not center around the fact that people reproduce, but rather that these women are forced to reproduce. Game of Thrones on the other hand has received criticism for its graphic scenes of sexual assault, and while stars of the series have hoped the scenes would spur larger discussions, criticshave pointed out that these instances seem more problematic than anything else. Because while there are several similar rape scenes within Game of Thrones (take Sansa Stark's controversial rape scene and Daenerys' own martial rape), the show has gotten flak for its reliance on rape as a narrative device that does not really serve a purpose of furthering the dialogue around sexual assault.

The problematic comparison made by Emilia in the interview is now being discussed by fans on social media, with some wondering if she realizes that extent of her comparison.